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Hi, I have been on contraceptive pills due to irregular periods for more than a year, I am neither married nor sexually active and i am 26, initially i had heavy and painful bleeding for few months when i started the pills and then it got normal, but for the past few months i bleed for about a week but very less and for 2-3 days its brownish spotting and i clot a lot, and its painful as well, i have weight issues and have been stressed for some time, and this this thing is really bothering me, what can i do? what could be the reasons? i had my ultrasound few months back to check for PCOS but it is fine but i had follicles a little more, but my doctor said it was fine. Kindly help.

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1 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:less bleeding in periodsHi, I have been on contraceptive pills due to irregular periods for more than a year, I am neither married nor sexually active and i am 26, initially i had heavy and painful bleeding for few months when i started the pills and then it got normal, but for the past few months i bleed for about a week but very less and for 2-3 days its brownish spotting and i clot a lot, and its painful as well, i have weight issues and have been stressed for some time, and this this thing is really bothering me, what can i do? what could be the reasons? i had my ultrasound few months back to check for PCOS but it is fine but i had follicles a little more, but my doctor said it was fine. Kindly help.

Dear An: You are correct, the hormones in the birth control pills (BCPs) suppress follicle growth in the ovaries. So the small multiple follicles typical for PCOS should be fewer in number.

As you likely have read the hormones in the BCPs also prompt lighter flows. Simply stated, if the uterine lining is like grass or lawn, estrogen is like the fertilizer (causes a thickening of the lining ), and progesterone is like the lawnmower (keeps the lining thin by three different mechanisms). This is why DepoProvera (high dose synthetic progesterone) brings about a thin lining, and why birth control pills (relatively progesterone dominant) typically bring about shorter, lighter periods.

In terms of the brownish spotting, when the bleeding is brisk and heavy the blood flows quickly out of the uterus and vagina. When the bleeding is scant and slower it has a much longer time to be exposed to the oxygen in the air. This exposure will turn the blood color brownish.

It is very common for women using BCPs to have a "period" which looks more like dark motor oil sludge than bright red menstrual bleeding. The synthetic progesterone in BCPs creates a thinner lining inside the uterus. This creates a decreased amount of flow. This more scant flow will appear as a dark brown color, and thick consistency.

About the only symptom you have described that I would not anticipate is the continued severe menstrual cramps. Generally as the lining gets thinner the cramps tend to decrease. If you continue to have marked cramping I would urge you to return to your GYN for follow up.

Hope your stress starts lightening up, too!

Yours,Jane

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:less bleeding in periodsDear An: You are correct, the hormones in the birth control pills (BCPs) suppress follicle growth in the ovaries. So the small multiple follicles typical for PCOS should be fewer in number.

As you likely have read the hormones in the BCPs also prompt lighter flows. Simply stated, if the uterine lining is like grass or lawn, estrogen is like the fertilizer (causes a thickening of the lining ), and progesterone is like the lawnmower (keeps the lining thin by three different mechanisms). This is why DepoProvera (high dose synthetic progesterone) brings about a thin lining, and why birth control pills (relatively progesterone dominant) typically bring about shorter, lighter periods.

In terms of the brownish spotting, when the bleeding is brisk and heavy the blood flows quickly out of the uterus and vagina. When the bleeding is scant and slower it has a much longer time to be exposed to the oxygen in the air. This exposure will turn the blood color brownish.

It is very common for women using BCPs to have a "period" which looks more like dark motor oil sludge than bright red menstrual bleeding. The synthetic progesterone in BCPs creates a thinner lining inside the uterus. This creates a decreased amount of flow. This more scant flow will appear as a dark brown color, and thick consistency.

About the only symptom you have described that I would not anticipate is the continued severe menstrual cramps. Generally as the lining gets thinner the cramps tend to decrease. If you continue to have marked cramping I would urge you to return to your GYN for follow up.

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